Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Crimes against Humanity

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difference between genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes; and to what extent they consider the risk of the annihilation of a group of people a distinguishing factor between each of those.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: It is the policy of the British Government, that any judgment as to whether war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide have occurred is a matter for judicial decision after consideration of all the available evidence, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. This approach provides a clear, impartial, and independent measure of whether genocide has occurred.As the majority of mass atrocities occur in and around conflict, the Government believes a focus on conflict prevention is the best means to prevent most mass atrocities. The Government adopts a whole-of-government effort, using our diplomatic, development, defence and law enforcement capabilities, to help find pathways to peace and stability.As a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the UK is fully committed to the prevention and punishment of genocide as appropriate under the Convention. This is reflected in the Government's support for the remit of the International Criminal Court under the Rome Statute. The Government has also supported the establishment of evidence gathering mechanisms and fact finding missions such as the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria, the Burma collect and preserve mechanism, and the Daesh Investigative Team.

Genocide

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difference between the interim determination of genocide, as made by parliaments, governments or international non-judicial bodies, and the final determination of genocide by a domestic or international court after a full trial.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: It is the policy of the British Government, that any judgment as to whether war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide have occurred is a matter for judicial decision after consideration of all the available evidence, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. This approach provides a clear, impartial, and independent measure of whether genocide has occurred.As the majority of mass atrocities occur in and around conflict, the government believes a focus on conflict prevention is the best means to prevent most mass atrocities. Her Majesty's Government (HMG) adopts a whole-of-government effort, using our diplomatic, development, defence and law enforcement capabilities, to help find pathways to peace and stability.As a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the UK is fully committed to the prevention and punishment of genocide as appropriate under the Convention.

Genocide

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have a generic policy to guide their responses to mass atrocities and the determination of possible genocide; and, if not, what assessment they have made of the risk of inconsistent responses from the UK.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: It is the policy of the British Government, that any judgment as to whether war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide have occurred is a matter for judicial decision after consideration of all the available evidence, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. This approach provides a clear, impartial, and independent measure of whether genocide has occurred.As the majority of mass atrocities occur in and around conflict, the government believes a focus on conflict prevention is the best means to prevent most mass atrocities. Her Majesty's Government (HMG) adopts a whole-of-government effort, using our diplomatic, development, defence and law enforcement capabilities, to help find pathways to peace and stability.

Genocide

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK’s duties under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to prevent and punish the crime of genocide; and what steps they take to ensure that the UK meets those duties.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the UK is fully committed to the prevention and punishment of genocide as appropriate under the Convention. This is reflected in the British Government's support for the remit of the International Criminal Court under the Rome Statute. The British Government has also supported the establishment of evidence gathering mechanisms and fact finding missions such as the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria, the Burma collect and preserve mechanism, and the Daesh Investigative Team.

South Sudan: Peace Negotiations

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the outcome of the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities agreement by leaders in South Sudan at the end of 2017.

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress which could be made as a result of the signing of a Peace Agreement in South Sudan in September 2018; andwhat assurances they have received that there will now be appropriate accountability by the government of South Sudan for the management of its oil revenues.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Cessation of Hostilities signed on 21 December 2017 was violated repeatedly by all sides. The September 2018 peace agreement recommits the parties to laying down their weapons. In order for meaningful progress to be made, all parties must now deliver on their promises, including: an immediate and verifiable end to fighting; the release of political prisoners; unimpeded access for humanitarian actors; and access for UN peacekeepers.The UK urges the parties to implement the September agreement sincerely and inclusively. We continue to call for an end to the culture of impunity for those working against peace, including by implementation of UN sanctions and the arms embargo that the UK played a leading role in securing in July.

Venezuela: Human Rights

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they propose to takefollowing their support for the resolution passed at the Human Rights Council on 27 September 2018 to promote and protect human rights in Venezuela and to call upon the government of Venezuela to open its doors to humanitarian assistance to address the scarcity of food and medicines and rise in malnutrition.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has long expressed its deep concern at the human rights situation in Venezuela. In November 2017, the EU unanimously agreed a sanctions regime on Venezuela. Targeted measures have been imposed on 18 individuals responsible for serious human rights abuses, and undermining democracy and the rule of law. We are continuing to work closely with EU, regional and international partners and urge the Venezuelan government to engage in serious, credible, and results-based negotiations with the opposition; to respect democratic institutions; to ensure free and fair elections, and to release all political prisoners.The UK is already providing support to the crisis through our funding to key UN and humanitarian agencies, as well as through our support to the EU Commission which is providing 35 million Euros. The UK is deploying two humanitarian advisors to the region. The Department for International Development is also funding 5 UN experts through the Stand-by partnership mechanism, who are helping to coordinate the response in the region.Venezuelan government political restrictions pose constraints for the delivery of assistance to those most in need. It will remain difficult until the Venezuelan government recognises the plight of its citizens and accepts international cooperation.

Burma: Press Freedom

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Myanmar about the trial and imprisonment of the two Reuters reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Government Ministers have repeatedly called for the release of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo since their arrest in December 2017, and with their council in September 2018. During his meeting with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on 20 September, the Foreign Secretary expressed his deep concern, and asked her to review the case. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific also called for their release in his conversation with Burma's Minister for International Cooperation on 17 August.

Burundi: Politics and Government

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their latest assessments of (1) food, (2) health, and (3) political, security in Burundi.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: (1) We assess that there has been modest improvement in the food security situation but that it remains extremely fragile.(2) Chronic malnutrition is of particular concern, as is the limited access to basic services such as health and education.(3) The UN Commission of Inquiry on the Burundi Report of August 2018 found that serious human rights violations persist. The Commission was particularly concerned by the growing number of violations where the ruling party's youth league, the Imbonerakure, had played a role. We are working with UN, EU and African Union partners to support an inclusive, negotiated solution to the political crisis.Since 2015, the Department for International Development has provided significant humanitarian support both inside Burundi and to Burundian refugees in the region, supporting around 300,000 refugees in Rwanda and Tanzania since the crisis began. In 2017, the UK committed up to £12 million to support humanitarian needs in Burundi until 2020.

Burma: Crimes against Humanity

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the creation of an ad hoc international criminal tribunal for crimes under international law committed in Myanmar, including alleged genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary visited Burma in September and saw for himself the destruction caused by the Burmese Army brutal clearance operations in Rakhine. We want justice to be done for crimes under international law committed in Burma. We will continue to work with our international partners to ensure this, exploring all options. We are working in the UN Security Council to ensure accountability, including by looking at the option of an ad hoc tribunal, while also pushing for accelerated progress on refugee returns. We assess that there is not currently sufficient support within the Security Council for the creation of an ad hoc tribunal.

Yemen: Baha'i Faith

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that members of the Baha’i faith in prison or facing death sentences by Houthi courts in Yemen are protected.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK supports freedom of religious belief for all Yemenis. On 28 September the UK voted for a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council that emphasised the international community’s concern at the plight of the Baha’i and called for the immediate release of all Baha’i detained due to their religious belief. The persecution of members of the Baha’i community in areas of Yemen under Houthi control due to their religious beliefs is a serious violation of international human rights law. New cases of arbitrary detention and continuing reports of the abuse of detainees by the Houthis are deeply concerning, and we wholly condemn this mistreatment. We have raised our concerns with the Houthi authorities.

Bahrain: Overseas Aid

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will review suspending investment in Bahrain through the Integrated Activity Fund.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Intergrated Activity Fund is not an investment fund. The technical assistance that we provide to Bahrain supports the building of effective and accountable institutions, including strengthening the rule of law and police and judicial reform. Government programmes are regularly reviewed to ensure that they continue to offer value for money and are delivering UK objectives.

Gulf States: Overseas Aid

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether human rights risk assessments are required to be made before funds are provided under the Integrated Activity Fund (IAF); whether any such assessments were made before funding was provided to Bahrain under the IAF; if so, whether any such assessment will be made public; and if not, why not.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK has been providing a range of technical and practical assistance to the Government of Bahrain since 2012 in support of its reform programme. Each programme and project funded by the British Government goes through a rigorous compliance process before commencement. The content of this process is not disclosed, as we have stated in previous replies to Freedom of Information requests. Any training provided by or on behalf of the British Government complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations.

Syria: Chemical Weapons

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the interim report published by the Fact-Finding Mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on 6 July on the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We welcome the work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in investigating the 7 April attack on Douma. The interim report noted that chlorine was found in samples taken during the investigation, along with residues of explosives. We look forward to further reporting in due course. In addition, the 12 September 2018 report of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria also found that "a vast body of evidence" suggested that a gas cylinder containing chlorine, delivered by helicopter, struck a residential building in Douma on 7 April.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Drugs

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many technology appraisals NICE has undertaken for medicines which have successfully passed through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme; and how long it has taken for a NICE recommendation to be reached on each of those appraisals.

lord o'shaughnessy: To date, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published final technology appraisal guidance on 18 drugs with a positive Scientific Opinion through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme. Information on the length of time between receipt of a positive Scientific Opinion and final NICE technology appraisal guidance for each drug is attached due to the size of the data.



Time between Scientific Opinion and NICE guidance
(Word Document, 26.26 KB)

Brain Cancer: Drugs

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether new biomarker-linked treatments for glioblastoma multiforme would be considered candidate technologies for the Accelerated Access Pathway under the Accelerated Access Review.

lord o'shaughnessy: As set out in the response to the Accelerated Access Review, the Accelerated Access Pathway (AAP) will focus on affordable products which can dramatically improve efficiency, fill an unmet need or make a step change in patient outcomes.There are no restrictions on what type of products the AAP should focus on. The AAP will be launched shortly after the next meeting of the Accelerated Access Collaborative.

Brain Cancer: Drugs

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support future patient access to new and clinically-effective medicines for glioblastoma multiforme.

lord o'shaughnessy: A number of drugs currently being developed for potential use in the treatment of glioblastoma have been referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for the development of technology appraisal guidance. New arrangements for the assessment and adoption of cancer drugs were introduced in 2016 that are designed to ensure that patients benefit from rapid access to the most promising new cancer drugs. Under these arrangements, wherever possible, NICE aims to publish draft guidance on cancer drugs before the product receives a marketing authorisation for use in the United Kingdom, and drugs recommended in draft NICE guidance will be eligible for Cancer Drugs Fund funding from the time that the drug receives a marketing authorisation.In May, the Government announced £40 million for brain cancer research in honour of Dame Tessa Jowell. Funding will be invested through the National Institute for Health Research to support a wide range of research from early translation (experimental medicine) through clinical and on to applied research. This will support the translation of laboratory discoveries into treatments and better care for patients.

NHS: Drugs

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Early Access to Medicines Scheme.

lord o'shaughnessy: Since the publication of the independent review of the Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS) the Government has made a number of improvements.Partners have worked together to provide updated guidance on the benefits and entry requirements for EAMS and are developing further guidance on collecting real world data in the scheme to support National Institute for Health and Care Excellence appraisal.Furthermore, the EAMS task group exists to provide a forum for industry to engage with Government, the devolved administrations and arm’s length bodies regarding EAMS, as per the recommendations of the 2016 review.

Buprenorphine

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the availability and price of the opiate treatment medication buprenorphine; whether there is a shortage of buprenorphine; if so, what analysis they have made of the reasons of such a shortage; and whether there are mechanisms in place to monitor the long-term supply of the medication following the recent rise in deaths associated with opioid abuse.

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure any shortage of buprenorphine does not adversely affect people in treatment for opiate use; and what assessments they have carried out of the impact of any long-term buprenorphine shortages on individuals and substance misuse treatment providers.

lord o'shaughnessy: We are aware that there was a short-term supply issue which may have affected availability in May 2018. This was because one of the main generic suppliers experienced delays in delivery, resulting in a short-term out of stock period. Although supplies continued to remain available from other suppliers, we are aware that some may have struggled to support the increase in demand at short notice. The delivery issues were resolved quickly and the overall supply of buprenorphine tablets improved shortly afterwards. The Department has not been made aware of patients who were unable to access supplies of buprenorphine during this period.Since this period, the Department has remained in regular contact with all United Kingdom licensed suppliers of buprenorphine and has been working closely with them to monitor their supply position. Based on these conversations, we have been assured that the available supplies are sufficient to meet the usual UK requirements for this drug. The Department continues to monitor this very closely.As there have been no long-term shortages of buprenorphine tablets, no such assessment has been undertaken on the impact of this scenario on individuals and substance misuse treatment providers. The Department is aware that since the short-term supply issue affecting buprenorphine, the market price has increased. This increased purchase price is reflected in the reimbursement price paid to pharmacies, to ensure that supplies remain available to patients.

Gambling

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following Public Health England’s estimate in its guidance Alcohol and drug prevention, treatment and recovery: why invest?published on 12 February, that for every £1 invested in local alcohol treatment provision £3 is saved in wider social costs, what estimate they make of the savings to wider social costs for every £1 invested in local gambling treatment provision.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government has made no estimate of the wider social cost savings for every pound invested in local gambling treatment provision. Public Health England has been asked to conduct a review of the evidence of the health aspects of gambling-related harm to inform action on prevention and treatment. The Government will reflect carefully on the outcome from this work in future policy development.

Gambling

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hospital admissions in the last five yearsthey estimate were linked to gambling addiction.

lord o'shaughnessy: The volume of finished admissions episodes (FAEs) with a primary or secondary diagnosis of pathological/compulsive gambling for the last five years is shown in the following table.YearFAEs2013-14652014-15892015-16862016-17722017-18107Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS DigitalA FAE is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust: DeepMind

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost to the public of inquiriesby the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), National Data Guardian, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and NHS Digital, resulting from the agreement for the Royal Free Hospital to provide data to DeepMind which the ICO found to be unlawful.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department has made no such estimate.

NHS: Drugs

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the proposed statutory scheme for branded drugs will improve access to cost-effective medicines for patients in the UK.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the proposals outlined in the draft branded drugs statutory scheme will improve access to innovative medicines in the UK.

lord o'shaughnessy: The proposals outlined in the recent consultation, Proposed changes to the statutory scheme to control the costs of branded health service medicines, ensure that the scheme can continue to fulfil its purpose of safeguarding the financial position of the National Health Service, alongside the voluntary Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme. A copy of the consultation document is attached. The proposals set out in the recent consultation are aimed at constraining the cost of branded health service medicines to a level that balances the interests of patients, the NHS, industry and the taxpayer. The consultation’s impact assessment demonstrates significant overall benefits to patient health, driven by the reinvestment of any savings generated from the statutory scheme in NHS budgets. A copy of the impact assessment, 2018 Statutory Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, is attached.There is a wider framework in place to ensure the cost-effectiveness of medicines used in the NHS, most importantly, through National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) appraisals. This existing framework remains unchanged by the proposals set out in the consultation, with the NHS still required to fund all medicines approved through a NICE technology appraisal. The Department is committed to ensuring access to clinically and cost-effective medicines, and is working with NHS England and the pharmaceutical industry to support improvements in the speed and rate of access to new medicines for NHS patients. 



Proposed changes to the statutory scheme
(PDF Document, 225.39 KB)




Statutory Scheme Impact Assessment
(PDF Document, 1.36 MB)

NHS: Drugs

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the proposed statutory scheme for branded drugs will enhance the position of the UK as a key centre for the life sciences industry.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government is committed to supporting the United Kingdom life sciences industry as one of the most innovative and internationally competitive sectors of our economy. The statutory scheme is one component in the wider UK medicines landscape, and covers companies who do not sign up to the voluntary scheme (currently the 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme).The impact assessment accompanying the recent Proposed changes to the statutory scheme to control the costs of branded health medicines consultation, concluded that the impact on the UK economy of any foregone research and development investment in response to lower pharmaceutical revenues would be limited, with a net present value impact of -£2.4 million over 2019 to 2021. This is outweighed by positive impacts from reinvesting any savings in the National Health Service leading to net monetised benefits of £1,167 million over the same period. Copies of the consultation document and the impact assessment, 2018 Statutory Scheme – Branded Medicines Pricing, are attached.The Department has received a number of responses to its recent consultation by members of the public, NHS bodies, industry organisations, as well as individual companies. In considering the responses, the Department will carefully take into account any evidence submitted on the potential impact on the UK life science sector.



Statutory_Scheme_Consultation_Document_corrected.p
(PDF Document, 225.39 KB)




2018_Statutory_Scheme_Impact_Assessment_1.pdf
(PDF Document, 1.36 MB)

Emergency Services: Vaccination

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manymembers of each of the emergency services have been vaccinated against (1) smallpox, and (2) anthrax; what percentage of the total staff of each service this represents; and of those vaccinated, how many will need to be vaccinated again in the next year.

lord o'shaughnessy: There are no active vaccination programmes against smallpox or anthrax for any of the emergency services.Vaccines can be made available to first responders responding to a confirmed anthrax incident if required. The Government still holds the smallpox vaccine for use against certain strains of orthopox viruses if required.

Horsepox: Vaccination

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have undertaken or commissioned into the creation of an effective vaccine against the synthetic horsepox virus.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government has not undertaken or commissioned research in this area. However, the National Institute for Health Research and the Medical Research Council both have a wide portfolio of research activity in vaccines which support underpinning vaccine research and new vaccine technologies, through to clinical trials.

Botulinum Toxin: Imports

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many import licences or permissions were granted in each of the last five years for live botulin toxins for the manufacture of Botox.

lord o'shaughnessy: Clostridium botulinum toxin is the active substance used as a starting material for the manufacture of Botox, a licensed human medicine. Active substances are those substances which give a medicinal product its therapeutic effect and must be manufactured to Good Manufacturing Practice standards for active substances used as a starting material.From 20 August 2013, manufacturers, importers and distributors of active substances who are established in the United Kingdom had to register their activity with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.The UK has no registered importers of the active substance Clostridium botulinum toxin, but has one registered manufacturer of the toxin that is Good Manufacturing Practice compliant, and was last inspected in May 2016.

Department for International Development

Tanzania: Health Services

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they provide to family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights work in Tanzania.

lord bates: Since 2012, the UK Government has provided £43 Million in financial support to family planning, sexual and reproductive health and rights through the bilateral programme. A further £50 Million has been committed to this work up to 2023.

Department for Education

Offences against Children

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that victims of grooming gangs are not stigmatised by social services.

lord agnew of oulton: The department published, in February 2017, a new definition of child sexual exploitation and guidance for practitioners. This non-statutory guidance was produced to help all safeguarding professionals who work with children and families to identify child sexual exploitation and respond to children to support and help them appropriately.In July, the department published the attached revised and strengthened version of our statutory safeguarding guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’. This clarifies the core legal requirements on individuals and organisations to keep children safe. It makes clear that whatever the form of abuse or neglect, practitioners should put the needs of children first when determining what action to take. The guidance includes clear advice on child sexual abuse and exploitation.The ‘Knowledge and Skills statement’ for child and family social work practitioners (attached) also sets out that in terms of abuse and neglect they should be able to consider the possibility of child sexual exploitation, grooming (on and offline), amongst other harms that pose a risk to children. 



HL10401_Knowledge_and_skills_statement_for_practic
(PDF Document, 150.53 KB)




HL10401_Working_Together_to_Safeguard_Children-201
(PDF Document, 2.23 MB)

Ministry of Justice

Community Rehabilitation Companies

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that any failures identified by HM Inspectorate of Probation of community rehabilitation companies adequately to protect the victims of domestic abuse are addressed; and in what timescale such action will be taken.

lord keen of elie: The Government takes extremely seriously the findings of HM Inspectorate of Probation in relation to the work of Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) on domestic abuse. A detailed Action Plan to address the recommendations will be published in due course, in line with the normal process for responding to HMIP reports.We have already been clear that CRCs must improve. This is why we are taking decisive action to end current contracts early, and put in place new arrangements from 2020 which will ensure probation plays its full part in tackling domestic abuse and protecting victims. The Government has also set out plans to better support victims of domestic abuse, bring more offenders to justice and ultimately keep the public safe through our proposed Domestic Abuse Bill. These include new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to allow police and courts to act earlier and more effectively when abuse is suspected, and the creation of a Domestic Abuse Commissioner to stand up for victims, monitor the provision of domestic abuse services and hold the Government to account.

Prison Sentences

lord trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many persons serving indeterminate prison sentences for public protection they estimate continue to protest their innocence; and whether such persons are denied access to the necessary courses which could lead to their release.

lord keen of elie: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost as central records are not kept on the number of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences who maintain their innocence. HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) must operate on the basis that individuals have been lawfully convicted of crimes, no matter if they maintain their innocence. Whilst requirements differ by programme, an individual does not need to admit to the offence(s) for which they have been convicted, but must be willing to address and work on the issues and factors in their life that constitute risk factors for them. When considering whether to direct the release of IPP prisoners, the independent Parole Board considers evidence from a range of sources and not just completed programmes. Where the Parole Board does not direct the release of an IPP prisoner, it is concluding that the prisoner’s risk to the public is too great for him to be safely managed in the community.

Ministry of Defence

Defence: Inflation

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what indicesGovernment departments use when calculating defence inflation.

earl howe: We base our assessments on official inflation rates that are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for a wide range of UK industries, as well as the Department's own contract and personnel data. Typically, we use around 80 different ONS price indices.

Defence: Finance

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the value of the exposure of the Ministry of Defence to fluctuations in the value of the euroagainst thesterling; and how much of that exposure is hedged externally.

earl howe: At 1 April 2018 the Department expected to use 11.5 billion Euros in the 10 years from 2018-19 and had placed forward contracts for the value of 2.1 billion Euros in the three years from 2018-19 using services provided by the Bank of England.

Defence: Finance

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the implications for the defence budget of rising oil prices.

earl howe: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) undertakes substantial purchases of fuel commodities, the price of which will be influenced by oil prices. The Department secures a degree of protection against changes in price by purchasing hedging contracts that are equivalent to buying a proportion of forecast demand at agreed prices in advance.The MOD hedges up to three years in advance and usually trades quarterly to further spread price risk. This approach has been used for fuel hedging since 2010.

Defence: Finance

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the value of the exposure of the Ministry of Defence to fluctuations in the value of the US dollaragainst sterling: and how much of that exposure is hedged externally.

earl howe: At 1 April 2018 the Department expected to use 34 billion US Dollars in the 10 years from 2018-19 and had placed forward contracts for the value of 5.6 billion US Dollars in the three years from 2018-19 using services provided by the Bank of England.

Trident Submarines

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for refuelling its SSBN fleet beyond contracts already placed.

earl howe: A decision on whether to refuel HMS Victorious will be announced in due course. There are no plans to refuel HMS Vigilant or HMS Vengeance.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many F-35 Lightning aircraft have been handed over by the manufacturer; how many are in the UK and how many are still in the USA; when Initial Operating Capability of the aircraft when land based is expected; and how many aircraft will be available for operations when Initial Operating Capability is achieved.

earl howe: The UK has taken delivery of 16 F-35B Lightning aircraft from the manufacturer of which nine are currently based in the UK with 617 Squadron and seven are in the US.617 Squadron is on track for Initial Operating Capability from land by the end of 2018, at which time it will have a preliminary complement of nine aircraft fully capable of undertaking operations from the land.

Military Decorations

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 3 and 11 July (HL8946 and HL9251), whether honorary 5 star officers who were listed on the active list but not in regular service on 29 July 2014 were issued with long service and good conduct medals; and whether 4 star former heads of service who were listed on the active list but not in regular service on 29 July 2014 were not issued with long service and good conduct medals.

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 28 February (HL5695), whether Long Service and Good Conduct Medalswere produced in error for all former heads of service not in regular service on 29 July 2014; and whether any such medals were produced for any other naval personnel in error.

earl howe: I refer the Noble Lord to the answers I gave on 19 December 2017 (HL4126) and 3 July 2018 (HL8946). Long Service and Good Conduct (LS&GC) Medals are struck for all Officers who were in Regular service on 29 July 2014 and who had served for 15 years from the date of attestation with good conduct. Former Heads of Service who retired at four-star rank before 29 July 2014 are ineligible. Those who are subsequently appointed to honorary five-star rank by Her Majesty The Queen become eligible, along with those who retired at that rank. As I explained in my answer of 28 February (HL5695), some LS&GC medals were produced in error for some retired Heads of Service. In line with all other medals, any LS&GC Medals which were erroneously produced will not have been issued to any personnel, including those of the Royal Navy.

Trident Submarines

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of concerns raised about the dreadnought programme by the NAO in its reportThe Defence Nuclear Enterprise: a landscape review, published on 22 May; and whether they anticipate the programme being deliveredwithin budget.

earl howe: Her Majesty's Government welcomed the National Audit Office report on the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, which set out the complex nature of the enterprise, and recognised the positive steps that have been taken to deliver this technically challenging network of programmes.The Dreadnought programme is one of the most complex engineering programmes ever undertaken by the United Kingdom. It remains on schedule to deliver the first of class into service in the early 2030s and within the £31 billion estimated cost as stated in Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.

Home Office

Offences against Children

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to support and rehabilitate victims of grooming gangs in the UK.

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they offer to victims of grooming gangs in the UK.

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the protection offered to victims of grooming gangs in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: This Government attaches the highest priority to tackling all forms of sexual exploitation and to ensuring that all victims, whether they are a child or an adult, get the protection and support they need.Police have a range of powers to protect children from child sexual exploitation, including Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Sexual Risk Orders, Slavery and Trafficking Risk Orders and Child Abduction Warning Notices. To help local agencies make best use of these and other powers, we will publish a child exploitation toolkit, setting out the full range of powers available to police and local partners to protect victims and disrupt offenders.We are committed to ensuring that victims receive quality support when and where they need it. In each of the last three years the Government has allocated around £7.2m in funding to sexual violence support services to provide independent, specialist support to female and male victims of sexual violence, including victims of child sexual abuse. This includes £1.7m to rape support services across England and Wales to provide specialist support to victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. A further £4.7m has been allocated to Police and Crime Commissioners specifically to commission services supporting victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Refugees: Crown Dependencies

lord dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Crown Territories, in particular the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, about the possibility that they will take part in receiving (1) unaccompanied child refugees in Europe, and (2) refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey under existing schemes for refugee families.

baroness williams of trafford: In the early stages of developing the UK's response to the refugee crisis, conversations were held between the UK Government and the Crown Dependencies to explore whether the infrastructure and capacity existed in the Crown Dependencies to support the resettlement of refugees under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme. Any offers of capacity and support for the UK schemes now or in the future are welcome.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Cyprus: Military Bases

lord sharkey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes they anticipate will be needed to the arrangements for crossing the border between the Cypriot UK Sovereign Bases and the Republic of Cyprus after the UK leaves the EU; what preparations are being made to make any such changes; and what discussions they have had with the EU and the Republic of Cyprus on the issue.

lord callanan: The UK and the Republic of Cyprus are engaged in ongoing constructive discussions on the future of the SBAs. We aim to ensure that those living and working in the SBAs, in particular the 11,000 Cypriot residents, are not adversely impacted by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. We are confident that an agreement can be reached which respects the Treaty of Establishment, and safeguards both the lives of citizens, and the effective military functioning of the bases.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Business: Cybercrime

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to invest in innovation to help support UK businesses in upgrading cyber security.

lord ashton of hyde: As part of the National Cyber Security Strategy, the Government has invested in a series of support programmes to stimulate innovation in cyber security and ensure there is a pipeline of innovative cyber security products and services to help UK companies and organisations stay secure. These will advance the UK's leadership in cyber security and help make the UK the safest place to live and do business online. The programmes include:Two innovation centres in London and Cheltenham, which are driving the development of cutting-edge cyber products and dynamic new cyber security companies; HutZero, a programme to encourage cyber entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to set up in business.Cyber 101, a “bootcamp” to help entrepreneurs develop market strategy and business effectiveness.The Academic Start-up Programme, that recognises the strong link between research and innovation, and helps teams from academia validate the market prospects for their research in cyber security and produce a minimum viable working product leading to commercialisation. The Government also supports research in a range of strategically important areas of cyber security, including Industrial Control Systems, and Hardware through four Research Institutes, and facilitates industry engagement and funding of research in 17 Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Research across the UK through the Cyber Invest programme.

Gambling

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they haveto conduct a large-scale gambling prevalence survey.

lord ashton of hyde: Questions about gambling participation are included in the large scale English and Scottish Health Surveys and an alternative omnibus survey for Wales. The Combined Health Survey for England, Scotland and Wales 2016 results were published on 6 September 2018 and can be found at https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/survey-data/Gambling-behaviour-in-Great-Britain-2016.pdf . A copy of which is attached.In addition, the Gambling Commission collects participation data through smaller scale quarterly telephone and online surveys and monitors underage gambling through its young persons survey. The latest information can be found at: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/Statistics-and-research/Levels-of-participation-and-problem-gambling/Gambling-participation-and-problem-gambling.aspx. A copy of the full document is also attached. 



Gambling Behavior 2016 
(PDF Document, 2.43 MB)




Gambling participation 2017 
(PDF Document, 4.04 MB)

Gambling

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate, if any, they have made of the contribution of gambling-related harm to the UK divorce rate.

lord ashton of hyde: The Government does not hold data on the number of divorces caused by problem gambling. The Government published its response, which I attach, to the Consultation on proposed changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures on 17 May 2018: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures



Government Response 
(PDF Document, 585.27 KB)

Museums and Galleries: Internet

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ask museums to measure the number of their images that have been accessed online via major third-party websites, such as Wikipedia, as a means of understanding the visibility and reach of a museum’s collections, as part of any key performance indicators for national museums at the next funding settlement.

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the conclusions of the National Portrait Gallery’s Discussion Paper for Open Access Meeting, dated 3 March 2016 and released on 22 January in response to a freedom of information request, what assessment they have made of the impact on museums’ profitability of allowing public access to large versions of images online.

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of museums sharing commercial information relating to museum picture libraries, such as pricing structures, future commercial plans and approaches to clients, on the market for licensing images.

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they have provided to ensurethat national museums conform with the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 by providing licences that are as open and non-restrictive as possible.

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they provide to museums about placing restrictions on the reuse of images on their own websites but allowing the same images to be freely available on third-party websites outside the UK.

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that national museum image licensing fees are compatible with the terms and principles of Managing Public Money.

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government how their policy to exploit commercially images of works of art in national museums and galleries fits with the mandates of the Arts and Humanities Research Council and other research bodies to make all publicly funded and Research Excellence Framework qualifying scholarship available on open licences from 2020 onwards.

lord ashton of hyde: As arm’s length bodies, DCMS-sponsored museums determine their own operational matters, including the decision to charge fees for re-use of images of items in their collections - this is an operational policy matter that therefore sits with the institutions themselves. As such it is not appropriate for Government to intervene in these matters and therefore no assessment has been made, or guidance provided, on image re-use. We are currently in the process of revising performance indicators for all fifteen of the DCMS sponsored museums. We are reviewing a broad range of museum activity and government policy in order to inform our decision around which performance indicators will be selected for inclusion in the museum management agreements from 2020. We are not in a position, at this stage, to comment on specific performance indicators as the project is ongoing. The National Archives has published guidance for public sector bodies on complying with the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015, including the attached guidance specifically for the culture sector, which can also be found here: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/psi-implementation-guidance-cultural-sector.pdf It is each Accounting Officer's responsibility to ensure that their organisation is compliant with the terms and principles of Managing Public Money. DCMS has a governance framework in place and regularly engages with its arm’s length bodies regarding compliance issues. 




Guidance - the Re-use of Public Sector Information
(PDF Document, 383.41 KB)

Merchant Navy Day: Flags

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 14 September (HL10045), whether they will now answer the question originally put, whether there have been any further discussions with the Lord Chancellor's office regarding the addition of flying the Red Ensign on Merchant Navy Day to the list of officially recognised flag days.

lord ashton of hyde: Further to my answer on the 14th September, I can confirm that we have not had any discussions with the Lord Chamberlain's Office regarding the addition of flying the Red Ensign on Merchant Navy Day to the list of officially recognised flag days. The only official list is the list of designated days for flying the Union Flag.There is no official list for other flags. As flag flying in England, Wales and Scotland is deregulated, any organisation may fly any flag at any time, so long as they have the necessary planning consent.The Red Ensign does not require consent to be flown.